This article addresses how to connect and log in to your Windows® Server® by using Microsoft® Remote Desktop Protocol.

Windows and Mac versions

The following instructions describe how to use RDP on Windows XP. Different versions of Windows, such as Windows 7 and Windows 8, vary slightly, but the operation of Remote Desktop remains the same across all versions of Windows.

On MacOS®, download and install the Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac. The steps to connect to your server are very similar.

For more information on configuring and running Remote Desktop Connection for Mac, see Get started with the macOS client.

Run the Remote Desktop Connection client

1. Open the Remote Desktop Connection Client by clicking Start > All Programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop Connection.

2. Enter the IP address of the server in the Computer field and click Connect.

3. (Optional) To set up file transfer or enable your clipboard for copy/paste, click Options.

4. Click the Local Resources tab, select the Clipboard option, click More, and then click Drives.

Save your session by clicking the General tab and clicking Save As.

Log in to your server

After you have connected, the Windows login screen displays. To log in for the first time, enter the Computer Name\Administrator and the corresponding password (this is the password that was emailed to you when your server build completed).

Congratulations, you have successfully connected and logged in to your new server!